BeClaws: Cajun Cuisine with an Asian Twist

We have no words, Nomsters. Who knew Caj-sian (cajun + asian, duh) food could be so damn delicious? BeClaws be killing the game. We went to their location in Silver Spring, MD for lunch the other day and had a fabulous meal. Parking’s on the more difficult side, but the struggle’s so worth it. We managed to get a spot near the restaurant on the street, but their lot’s fairly limited so don’t rely on that. Their exterior wasn’t especially pleasing per se, but the restaurant itself was really cool. They had a divey/trendy vibe going on with their setup, which we loved.

We started our meal off with their Salt & Pepper Calamari (pictured above). It came out piping hot with serious flavor. We’re pretty good with spice, but this had real kick to it – the fresh jalapeños definitely took things up a notch. We mean that all in a good way though! We’ll definitely be back soon to try their Salt & Pepper Shrimp as well.

After munching on our app, we ordered the following 3 entrees to share: their Caj-sian seafood ramen, an order of their “big catch,” and their soft shell crab basket. When we saw Caj-sian pho + ramen listed on their menu, we couldn’t resist – you guys know how we feel about carbs. Topped with all sorts of nom seafood, this magical bowl will warm you up on the coldest of days. It wasn’t our favorite dish of the bunch, but it was still a solid choice.

The star of the meal was *drum roll, please*…the big catch! They had several different pre-fixed combos available, but we decided to build our own. To start, you choose from crawfish, shrimp, clams, mussels, king crab, snow crab, dungeness crab, lobster and blue crab – go with as many or as few as you like. We were in the mood for lobster so we kept things simple and just went with that.

We then sauced it up with their house caj-sian, but other nomtastic choices were also available: lemon-pepper, garlic-herb or a mix of all three. After that, you choose your spice level. We went with “spicy,” but there was also mild, medium, extra spicy and 911 (!!!). We kind of want to go back and get the 911 option, just to see how ridiculous it is. We’ll make sure to report back when we do…if we’re still alive. Anywho, their pots came with potato and corn, but you’re welcome to order additional add-ins like sausage, rice and noodles. We got 6 pieces of their sausage, and it was SUCH a good call – definitely make sure to get an order for your pot because it’s seriously yum. Quite possibly the best sausage we’ve had in the area.

Now, one last thing, all pots come with a side. We’ve only tried one, but we’re convinced that it’s the best ever because it’s literally one of the best things we’ve ever tasted. Oh BeClaws, your cornbread is going to make us so, SO fat. At least we’ll be fat and happy, ha! We’d honestly go back for their cornbread alone.

Last but not least, their soft shell crab basket. We only have one question – how the eff do they get their EVERYTHING so crispy? The crab + fries were fried to perfection, and the cajun seasoning was to-die-for good. If you’re a fan of crab (or even if you’re not), we HIGHLY recommend ordering this basket. You can thank us afterwards.

As always, we couldn’t resist getting dessert so we got an order of their beignets even though we were stuffed. We didn’t like these as much as the aforementioned main entrees, but they were still good. They were freshly made and accompanied by two sauces, which was nice: condensed milk + chocolate. #TeamCondensedMilk #AlwaysAndForever

So, dishes to get: any of their pots, the salt and pepper calamari, and the soft shell crab basket. We hear awesome things about their crab fries and seafood bao, too so go nuts. They’re located on 2404 University Blvd W, Silver Spring, MD but also have a secondary location in Hyattsville, MD. Definitely let us know how you like their noms by leaving us a comment below or emailing us at nomtasticfoods@gmail.com. Until next time, Nomsters!